Generator of color images from monochrome television signals



Feb. 17, 1959 GENERATOR OF COLOR IMAGES FROM MONOCHROME TELEVISION SIGNALS F. l.. BECHLY Filed July 29. 1955 Patented Feb. 17, 1959 GENERATOR CLVOR IMAGES FROM MDNO- CHROME TELEVISION SIGNALS Fred Lorin ABechley, West Collingswood, N. J., assignor to Radio Corporation ofv America, a corporationof Delaware ApplicationJuly 29, 1955, Serial No. 525,146

j S Claims. (Cl. 1785.4)

The present invention relates to novel color television apparatus and, particularly, to apparatus for deriving, from a monochrome or black and white television signal, signals representative of a plurality of colors so that a multi-color 4image may be ultimately reproduced from the single monochrome signal.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide novel means for deriving from a single television signal.y a plurality of signals capable of providing a multi-color image.

In a simultaneous color television system of the type suitable for reception of color television signals standardized by the Federal Communications Commission ony December 17, 1.953, video signals respectively representative of the brightnesses of the component colors of an image to be reproduced are derived through the agency '30 of scanning means respectively sensitive to the component colors of the image. The color-representative Video signals are combined in `a suitable manner to form a luminance signal representative of the brightness of elemental areas of the televisionv subject and are also .35

processed by matrix and modulator means to form a subcarrier wave which is both phaseand amplitudemodulated to indicate respectively the hue and saturation of corresponding areas of the subject. The present invention may be` used in conjunction with such a color television systemfor causing the system to produce a multicolor image from a monochrome television signal of the typel which is derived, for example, from a singletelevvision camera 'pickup device.

In accordance-with a specific form of the invention'to be described: herein by way of illustration, there is provided a source of monochrome television signals such, for example, as a television camera tube adapted to scan a subject. The video signals thus produced by thecamera tube are applied to one of the three color channels of a simultaneous: color television system of the type described. Means are additionally provided for inverting the phase of the video signals produced by the camera and for applying the'V inverted video signals, suitably modifiedas to blanking'polarity in a manner to be described, to a second color-channel of the system. Means may be Y additionally provided in accordance with the invention for applying sa constant amplitude signall to the third color channel of the system, thereby to increase the number `of colors which'can'be reproduced by thesy'stem.

As Will beV understood, the present invention may be advantageously employed in1 the production of color test signals from monochrome video signals. The invention is also useful, for example, 'as a relatively inexpensive `arrangement for producing color displays from monochrome signals astin commercial announcements, titles and the like.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in theV art from a study of the following detailed-description of theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates, byA way of a block diagram, one ar- 20 .with means sensitive to thosecolors.

`2 rangement in accordance with the` present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a series of wave forms to be described in connection with the arrangement of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrative of another form of 5 the invention; and

Fig. 4 illustrates schematically a switching arrangement useful in the apparatus of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing and, particularly, to Fig. l

thereof, there is shown a color televisionsignal system as represented by the block 10. By way of example,

theV color television system represented in Fig. l may be of the type described in detail in a book entitled Practical Color Television for the Service Industry," Vrevised edition, April 1954, second edition, first printing,

published by the RCA Service Co. Inc., aRadio Corporation ofY America subsidiary. In such a system, and as described by the cited book, video signals respectively representative of the red, green .and blue content of a television subject are derived by scanning the subject The color video Vsignals are then combined to form a luminance signal representative of the brightness of elemental areasof the subject and are also employed in producing a chrominance signal representative of the colors of the subject. These luminance and chrominance signals may, for example,

be transmitted on a radio frequency carrier wave to a suitable receiving apparatus which serves to reconstruct from the transmitted and receivedsignals the individual color-representative video signals `originally derived by scansion of the television subject. In a receiver of the type described inthe cited publication, the individual color video signals are employed in modulating the rrespective intensities of a plurality of electron beams in a color image reproducing kinescope, each of the beams being adapted to impinge upon and illuminate Vselected color light-producing areas of the kinescope screen. 4

t HFrom the foregoing, therefore, it may be'understood, by way of example, that the block 10 is representative of that portion of the color television system which is 40 located electrically between the source of the several color representative signals and that point in the system before the color image reproducing vdevice at which the individual color video signals are reconstructed for use in the described manner. The separate color input chan- -nels of the system 10 are represented by the terminals 12, 14 and 16 which are designated, respectively, as the red, green and blue channels. The color image reproducing device is represented diagrammatically by the Akinescope 18 to which the color video signals are applied via the lead labeled R, lG and'B.

' As is understood by those skilled in the art, the red, green and blue color representative video signals normally employed in such a system are inthe nature of electrical Wave forms whose amplitudes are, respectively,

5 representative of the intensity of light of those colors.

In accordance with the present invention, means are pro- `vided for deriving from a monochrome television signal such as an ordinary black and whlte signal signals uset ful in causing the system to produce a color image. Thus,

the block 20 in Fig. l bears the designation source of video signals and will be understood as comprising,

' for example, a single television camera pickup tube such as the type normally employed in the derivation of monochrome television signals.

Assuming that the apparatus of the present invention (indicated 4Within the dotted line in rectangle 22) is associated with a conventional color television broadcast transmitter, it will be understood that the transmitter apparatus also includes a suitable source of blankingy Wave form (a) of Fig. 2 illustrates a composite monochrome television signal asproduced from the source 20. The signal includes blanking impulses 26 between successive television line scans, the video information being contained between the blanking pulses. The video signal of Fig. 2(a) is of such polarity that 'the negative peaks of the blanking pulses 26 represent black level. In the illustrative wave form shown, the signal is representative of alternate white and black vertical bars, the white bars being represented by the positive-going pulses indicated by reference character W. The video signals :from the source yare applied, after suitable ampliication V(not shown) to one of the terminals of the color television system 10. In Fig. l, the video signals are illustrated as being applied to the blue channel input terminal 16. The video signal shown in Fig. 2(a) and which will be referred to hereinafter for convenience as the monochrome video signal is also applied via a lead 28 to the input terminal of a polarity reversing stage 30. The polarity reverser 30 may, for example, comprise simply an amplier which receives the monochrome signal on its control electrode and which delivers the phase inverted version thereof at its anode load terminal. The phase inverted monochrome signal is applied from the phase inverter 30 via a lead 32 to one input terminal of an adder circuit 34. The inverted video signal is illustrated in Fig. 2(c) and, as may be seen therefrom, is a substantial duplicate of the original monochrome signal except that it is of reverse polarity. In addition to the reversal of polarity of the video portion of the monochrome signal, however, the phase inverter 30 will also be understood as having reversed polarity of the blanking pulses 26. Means are therefore included in accordance with the invention for modifying the sense of the blanking pulses of the inverted signal to accord with the-polarity of the blanking pulses of the original monochrome signal. Such means will now be described.

The blanking pulse source 24 alluded to earlier provides at its output lead 36 a wave form such as that shown in Fig. 2(b) which consists of blanking pulses 26 between which there occurs a voltage ofsubstantially lined white level. The blanking pulses 26 from the source 24 are applied to a second input terminal of the adder 34 so that the latter circuit serves to add the negative-going blanking pulses 26 of wave form (b) of Fig. 2 to the wave form (c) .of Fig. 2, whereby topprovide at its output lead 40 a signal illustrated by wave form (d) of Fig. 2 wherein the blanking pulses are of the same sense as those of wave form (a). The output lead 4l) of the adder 34 is indicated as connected to another of the color channel input terminals 12 of the system 10.

In the interest of describing completely the environment of the apparatus of Fig. 1, it may be noted that the terminals 12, 14 and 16 of the system 10 may comprise the input terminals of a conventional colorpieXer such as that described and shown in an article by Gloystein and Turner entitled The ColorpleXer-a Device for Multiplexing Color Television Signals in Accordance With the N. T. S. C. Signal Specifications which appeared in the i January, 1954, issue of Proceedings Vof the I. R. E. The

monochrome video signal applied tothe blue signal terminal 16 of the television system 10 causes the system to reproduce blue bars where each of the white bars W occur in the-monochrome signal. Similarly, the phase inverted and modied signal of wave form (d) of Fig. 2

image produced by the kinescope 18 at the output of the colortelevision` system will consist of alternate blue and red vertically oriented bars or stripes. It will thus be ap-` preciated that the apparatus within the dotted line rectangle 22 of Fig. l serves to synthesize color-representative video signals from a single monochrome television signal.

Fig. 1 additionally illustrates means for increasing the number of color combinations which may be synthetically produced from a monochrome signal. A signal path from the lead 36 at the output terminal of the blanking pulse source 24 may be completed by closing the switch 44, so that blanking pulses are applied to the green signal terminal 14 of the color system. The effect of the application of the blanking pulses 26 (wave orm (d) of Fig. 2) to the green signal terminal is that of causing the system to produce green throughout cach television line interval. The eiect upon the color image produced by the kinescope 18 is, therefor, that of changing the alternate blue and red bars to magenta and yellow bars.

While, in the illustrative example of Fig. l, the monochrome and inverted signals are shown as being applied to the blue and red signal terminals, respectively, of the color television system and with the blanking pulses applied to the green signal terminal, it will be borne in mind that any combination of connections may be employed. Fig. 3 illustrates, therefore, a form of the invention in which includes switching means indicated by the block 50 between the color signal synthesizing arrangement 22 and the color television signal system. The switching apparatus 50 in Fig. 3 may comprise any suitable arrangement for selectively connecting the monochrome, inverted monochrome and blanking signals to the input terminals 12, 14 and 16 of the color television system.

While thel type of switching apparatus employed in the block 50 depends upon the total number of possible color combinations desired, Fig. 4 illustrates schematically within the dotted line rectangle 50 one switch arrangement whereby 30 color combinations are possible. That is to say, any one of the monochrome, inverted monochrome and blanking signals may be applied selectively to any one of the red, green or blue signal terminals 12, 14 and 16, respectively, of the color system. The arrangement of Fig. 4 comprises 3 switches S1, S2, and S3, each of which includes a movable rotary member and four stationary terminals designated om R, G, and B. Each of the stationary terminals R is connected to each of the others similarly designated and to the terminal 12, while the green and blue stationary terminals are similarly interlconnected and to the terminals '14 and 16. Thus, in accordance with the apparatus of Fig. 4, any one. of the three input signals may be connected to any one of the terminals 12, 14 and 16 or effectively turned off by connecting the rotary member of its associated switch to the oli terminal. With the apparatus of Fig. 3, 30 possible combinations of the primary colors red, green and blue and their mixture colors are alorded. If desired, additional switches may be provided for permitting the application of one of the three signals simultaneously to two of the input terminals of the color television system, thereby affording 24 additional possible color combinations. In View of the fact that either the monochrome signal 0r vthe inverted monochrome signal may be applied to all three of the terminals of the system, two additional possibilities (i. e., black-and-white and white-and-black) are available.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Apparatus for synthesizing simultaneous color telcvision signals from a monochrome television signal, which apparatus comprises: a source of monochrome television signals including recurrent blanking'pulses of fixed, reference amplitude and image portions representative of alternate black and white areas of an image to be reproduced; a colorplexer having a plurality of color channels, `means for applying monochrome television signals from said source to a first one of said channels; means coupled to said sourcefor inverting the signals received therefrom; means-.coupled to said last-named means for 5 replacing the blanking pulses of said inverted signals by blanking pulses of the same polarity as the blanking pulses of said monochrome signals applied to said first channel, and means for applying such inverted signals having replaced blanking pulses to a second one of said channels.

2. Apparatus for synthesizing simultaneous color television signals from a monochrome television signal, which apparatus comprises: a source of monochrome television signals including recurrent blanking pulses of fixed, reference amplitude and image portions representative of alternateblack and white areas of an image to be reproduced; a plurality of output terminals; means for applying monochrome-television signals from said source to a rst one of said terminals; means coupled to said source for inverting the signals received therefrom; means coupled to said last-named means for replacing the blanking pulses of said inverted signals by blanking pulses of the same polarity as the pulses of said monochrome signals applied to said iirst terminal, means for applying such inverted signals having replaced blanking pulses to a second one of said terminals; a colorplexer having a plurality of input color channels; and switching means operatively connected to said terminals for selectively connecting said terminals to different ones of such colorplexer input channels.

3. In a color television system of the type which includes a plurality of separate component color channels each of which is responsive to the amplitude of a signal applied thereto to produce a color image of one of such component colors, apparatus for synthesizing color television signals from a monochrome television signal, which apparatus comprises: a colorplexer having a plurality of color-designated channels, each representative of one of such component colors; a source of television signals including image portions representative of alternate' black and white areas of an object and further including blanking pulses of xed, reference amplitude; means for applying signals from said source to one of said colorplexer color channels such that said signals are eective to control the `color image production of the component color of that channel; polarity reversing means coupled to said source in signal-receiving relation for inverting signals from said source including such blanking pulses; a source of blanking pulses corresponding in time and sense to those of said television signals; means for adding blanking pulses from said last-named source to said inverted signals to produce a modied signal whose image portions are of the opposite sense from but whose blanking pulses are in the same sense as the signals applied to said one of said color channels; and means for applying such modified signal to a second one of said colorplexer color channels.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,580,083 Doba et al. Dec. 25, 1951 2,693,530 Macdonald Nov. 2, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Buchsbaum: Color TV Instrumentation, Radio-Electronic Engineering, March 1954, pages 5 and 6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE `cERTIFICATEz 0F CORRECTION Patent Nou 'yi February 17, 1959 Frec Lorin Beehly' It is hereby certified thai error appeareA in the above numbered patent requiring correction and tha the said Lettere Pat-ent should read corrected below Tin the grant, line ly am?, ir. rale heading to the printed specifica-tion, line A, name of inventor, for "Fred, Lorin Beohley read m Fred Loria Beefmly my eael oeeurrenoe; in the heading to the Sheet of drawing,

eontann fi ee l w'so 4 line l for THX L., BEGI'EEI" read m F; L.,

SEEE-TEX fm; column 4, line 51,1, for "'g 3" read. ma Fig, ,4. m

Signed sealed this lith day of August 1959.,

- Attest:

KARL n; Attesting Officer ROBERT c. -wATsoN Conmissioner of Patents 

